Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Codex Baroccianus: Oracula: The Devil at the Birth of the Anti-Christ

An unusual subject matter. I cannot recall having ever seen an Anti-Christ nativity. Of particular interest is the singular and enigmatic shrouded form of the mother, the snorkel nose and phallic tail of the Devil and the rigid quiescence of the Anti-Christ. See detail below.

Also, mark the presence of William Laud.

There is a scalable image at the Bodleian link.

Title: 'FIGVRA 22. Fatus scolestus'. The Birth of the Antichrist. Woman seated on bed in centre of the composition, newborn baby in a cradle on rockers, attended by a maiden seated in the foreground. Scene takes place in walled courtyard of a house, maid comes out of building on the right. Three women frightened by the irruption of the Devil from another building on the left. He is depicted as a hairy horned demon with long snout, goat hind legs and holding a sceptre. Drapery hangs between the two buildings over the courtyard. Above, in dark clouds, are two winged demons.

Codex Baroccianus: Baroccianus is an adjective applied to manuscripts indicating an origin in the Baroccianum, a Venetian collection assembled by the humanist Francesco Barozzi (Barocius). A large part of that collection was sold after the death of Iacopo Barozzi or Barocci (1562-1617), nephew and heir to Francesco;[1] and the purchase by William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke led in turn to his donation in 1629 of a substantial collection of Greek manuscripts from the Baroccianum to the Bodleian Library. The designation Codex Baroccianus followed by a number is an indication that a manuscript is in the Bodleian Catalogue and has its provenance in this donation.

The Earl of Pembroke's purchase cost him £700; his donation was bound in 242 volumes. He was persuaded to make the deal and gift by William Laud.